


We Sleeping Wake, And Waking Sleep

by SweetSorcery



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Dreams, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic Realism, Male Slash, Reincarnation, Romance, Slash, Soulmates, Surreal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-19
Updated: 2011-10-19
Packaged: 2017-10-24 18:37:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetSorcery/pseuds/SweetSorcery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Cedric appears in his life, Harry truly begins to dream.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Sleeping Wake, And Waking Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All canon referred to within belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, Warner Bdos. Inc., and possibly others. Non-canon bits were created for non-profit, non-infringement entertainment.
> 
> Archiving: Nowhere except here, and not in translated form either.
> 
> Author's Notes: This was written several years ago. The title is courtesy of Michel de Montaigne, a 16th century writer who described dreams this way. If you believe in reincarnation, it's a happy story, otherwise you might find it a bit gloomy and odd.

Harry dreamed. Every night. He knew that everybody did, of course, but he remembered every single dream for a long time afterwards, vividly; perhaps because most of them were terrifying nightmares. He had never in his life woken up truly refreshed, content, happy. He had doubted he ever would. His life simply hadn't been like that.

Until he met Cedric Diggory.

* * *

The first time he dreamed about Cedric was in his third year, after the Quidditch match which had put him in the hospital wing. He dreamed about playing Quidditch, and Cedric Diggory was flying past him, but astonishingly not on a broom. The Hufflepuff was laughing happily, telling Harry how wonderful it was to finally be _seen_.

* * *

The second time he dreamed about Cedric was the night after the World Cup. It started as a nightmare, of course - death eaters burning down tents, people screaming, the dark mark appearing in the sky. But then it all faded away, and the colours of the dream changed, shapes grew softer, lighter, sweeter. The mark dissolved into a cloud, and the cloud into sunlight, streaming from the sky. And then the sunlight slowly shaped itself into the tall, slender figure of Cedric Diggory, floating down towards the ground with a smile, walking right up to Harry and offering his hand. And Harry smiled up, reaching for the hand, which drew him up and to his feet as if he was weightless. And he continued to smile while Cedric held his hand, held him suspended in that moment, soft grey eyes looking down at him, full lips shaping a single word. "Harry."

Harry woke with a smile. The way he had felt during that dream stayed with him for the rest of his holidays, like a happy memory he could tap into anytime he needed it.

* * *

It wasn't until the day he and Ron watched the older students dropping their names into the Goblet that Harry had another dream which was not a nightmare. This time, he sat by a fire roaring red under a night sky.

Cedric was sitting opposite him, on the other side of the flames, writing his name on a bit of parchment. "Shall I add your name to mine?" he asked softly.

Harry smiled, feeling pleasantly warm. "Yes. Please."

Cedric looked happy as he added 'Harry Potter' right next to 'Cedric Diggory'. Then he dropped the parchment into the fire, and it flared up into the sky, blood red, sizzling and crackling. And then it dimmed to a soft blue. "Everything's going to be fine now," Cedric said cryptically. "We belong together, you and I." He smiled, his eyes sparkling behind the blue fire. "Together, Harry."

"Together," Harry confirmed. He rose to his feet, and so did Cedric. And when he took a step towards the other boy, and Cedric took a step towards him, taking his hands, neither of them was too worried that they were standing in the middle of the fire; it was only a dream fire, after all. Their smiles were an inch apart when Harry woke.

* * *

The next dream came after Harry had told Cedric about the dragons. In the dream, he was walking through the dark forest, down long and winding corridors, across a battlefield... There was darkness and confusion everywhere, and Harry felt as afraid as he had when his name had come out of the Goblet. And then, he walked out into the Hogwarts courtyard, and sunlight filtered through lush trees and caught in soft brown hair.

Harry smiled and walked towards Cedric, who was lying across another boy's lap, fooling around. When he saw Harry, he jumped up, blushing vividly and looking extraordinarily pleased. It was very much like the real event.

"I've been waiting for you," Cedric told him, standing up. The other boy disappeared. Everyone else disappeared from the courtyard, as if cued by Cedric, and it was just the two of them.

"Good thing I came then," Harry said, grinning.

Cedric reached out to cup his face, his thumb caressing Harry's cheekbone. "I've waited a long time for you, Harry. But not much longer now, you'll see."

Harry was confused, but nodded.

Cedric smiled at him. "I'll make the wait worthwhile, while I can." He leaned in close, eyes soft and full of promise. "I swear it."

Harry shivered. "Please."

"My Harry," Cedric sighed. "Soon now."

Harry woke up gasping Cedric's name. He felt full of warmth and fire, and even though he and Cedric barely saw each other during waking hours, and even more rarely spoke, the feeling of _knowing_ did not dissipate.

* * *

Shortly after the Yule Ball came the next dream. Asleep or not, Harry's heart was pounding with anticipation when he found himself in the Great Hall. Ice decorations were still in place, and a few garlands were dangling haphazardly from the enchanted ceiling. Most of the floating white candles had burned down or were only dimly flickering. Upturned glasses and fallen flower petals gave the impression of everyone having recently deserted the room. The scents of tears and excitement and a hundred different perfumes lingered in the room, gently breezing in and out through the wide open doors, wind whistling as it passed through as if the room had no walls at all, was merely floating. There was even music - the band was long gone, and the gramophone was silent, but it was as if an echo of the music from earlier that night still lingered, stray notes drifting on the air.

Harry stood on the dance floor, in full dress robes, waiting. Waiting for Cedric. Who entered through the wide doors, also dressed for the ball, and smiled at Harry. They walked towards each other and stopped in the middle of the dance floor.

"It's traditional for the champions to open the ball with the first dance," Cedric said softly, then bowed.

Harry smiled, and when Cedric's hand rested on his waist, the other raising his right hand, he held onto Cedric's shoulder. Snippets of a waltz filled the room, and Cedric started to dance him across the floor, and suddenly, Harry knew exactly what to do. There were no shuddering steps, no feet being stepped on, no awkwardness. They danced and swayed as if they had practised for years, cloaks swinging behind them until they laughingly discarded them and continued, spinning around the room, effortlessly, weightlessly. Cedric's long legs and sure steps marked every inch of floor, carrying Harry with him, holding him tight and whirling him about like a doll.

And Harry was laughing and dancing as if he had never been meant for anything else, holding onto Cedric and flying across the room with him. Faster and faster they spun, until they moved so fast that time around them stopped and held its breath, motionless, and they danced out of time, their world spinning while the physical stood still.

Then the music ended, and Cedric held him suspended in time, and there was no sound, no scent, no feeling except for Cedric's hands on his waist, drawing him close. Cedric leaning down towards him. And when their lips met, it wasn't a physical sensation at all, but a merging of everything they were.

* * *

The night before the third task, Cedric soundlessly entered Harry's dormitory. It was another dream, but it felt real enough to make Harry's heart pound so hard it nearly woke him.

Cedric sat at his side, pulling Harry up until he could push the pillows between him and the headboard. The he reached out to cup his cheek.

Harry leaned into the caress, and Cedric's hand moved down his neck and rested on his shoulder, his thumb continuing to flick tenderly over the skin of his throat. "I'm going to have to leave soon," he said regretfully.

Harry leaned towards him, his eyes wide. "What? Cedric, why?" He felt cold panic wash over him and clutched at Cedric's arm.

"It's all right. Not for long, Harry." Cedric smiled wistfully.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked numbly.

"I can't tell you. You might try and stop me, and everything has to be a certain way, you know."

But Harry didn't know. He didn't understand. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No. Oh no," Cedric quickly reassured him. He pulled Harry against his chest and held him tight. "Never you. Everything's going exactly as it should, Harry. And you have to trust me, no matter what happens. You'll need to be here, and I'll need to be... elsewhere."

Harry's arms tightened around Cedric's middle. "For how long?" When Cedric didn't answer, he sighed. "A long time then."

"Time isn't real, Harry. You'll see me again sooner than you might think." Cedric pushed him back reluctantly, cupping his face in his hands. "And then you'll understand everything." His smile was soft and dreamy. "And I mean everything. It's beautiful. I can see it already."

Harry still didn't understand, but Cedric looked happy. Content. Everything would be fine. "And I will see it too?"

"Oh yes." Cedric kissed him very lightly on the lips. "I'll show you everything, Harry. You'll see why I can be more help to you from there."

"Help?" Harry bit his lip.

Cedric nodded. "Trust me."

"Yes." Harry sighed and held him tight. "Stay with me tonight?"

Cedric wrapped him in his arms and held him all night, and non-existent time trickled past second by second, feeling like two lifetimes.

When dawn rose on their dream, Cedric's mouth was there to swallow Harry's sob. "Remember me, Harry. Remember everything, and fear nothing."

They passed through each other like air, and the last words Harry felt were, "I love you."

Harry woke with a start, his eyes filled with tears. "I love you too," he whispered to the empty room.

* * *

He couldn't help himself in the maze. His dream Cedric had left, for however long, and yet, Cedric was still there, right in front of him. And even though Harry was awake, and nothing like this had ever happened during his waking hours, he reached out to Cedric - solid and earthly and _there_ \- and hugged him tight. Just as if both Cedrics were the same.

And Cedric gave a sigh and held him. And then he kissed Harry. And even though his lips were real and the kiss was only a physical event, it was wonderful. "Yes," he whispered against Harry's lips. "You understand."

And then everything went wrong.

It certainly felt wrong to Harry. To be kneeling there holding Cedric's body. To be warm while Cedric grew colder and colder. Breathing while Cedric's didn't. There while Cedric was... elsewhere.

Yes. He did understand. It hurt enough to break his heart, but he could keep going with the pieces as long as Cedric needed him to.

It wasn't long at all. Cedric had been right - time hardly seemed to matter. And when Cedric next appeared in his dreams, he told Harry to prepare. He told him to remember how much he loved him, and to use that love as his weapon and his shield.

The final battle took place during Harry's sixth year.

Their love held off a dozen death eaters at once, curses bouncing harmlessly off Harry's shield - a smiling Cedric patronus, visible only to himself. He repelled their curses until his friends were safe, and when his magic gave in, Cedric folded about him, a blanket of soft white light.

"Hush now. You're tired, Harry. Stay in my arms." The light soothed and cooled him.

When Voldemort finally found him, he could hardly see Harry through the brightness. Blinded, he threw every curse he knew at him, and Cedric absorbed them all and turned them into love, and then he lifted Harry into the air and they rushed at Voldemort, their love burning his hatred into ashes and dispersing him to the four winds.

And then there was only light, and Cedric carried him further and further away. "Time to rest, Harry." His voice was soft and happy, like a lullaby.

Harry looked up at him, his arms around Cedric's neck. "Will I have to go back again?"

"Not yet, and only when you choose to. And Harry, each time you do, you'll always see me, sooner or later. And eventually, when we get tired again, we'll both come back here." He smiled.

Harry returned his smile and held on tighter, feeling more alive and content and 'whole' than he could ever remember. Yes, he understand everything now.

The End


End file.
